Telephone cut-out.



P. H. HARNER. TELEPHONE CUT-OUT. APPLICATION FILED APR.23,1910.

979,292, Patented Dec. 20, 1910.

TELL, I

RHHarn/er,

UNITED STATES PHILIP H. HARNER,

OF DOOIVIS, VIRGINIA.

TELEII-IGNE CUT-OUT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 20, 1910.

Application filed April 23, 1910. Serial No. 557,194.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP H. HARNnu, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dooms, in the county of Augusta and State of Virginia, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Telephone Cut- Outs, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

his invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in cut-outsfor telephones and has for its object to provide a simple and efficientdevice of this character which is particularly designed for use uponrural telephone lines whereby eliective protection is provided to thetelephones to avoid the same being burned out.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cut-out for telephoneswhich will completely neutralize the ground and line currents, andconduct the current from one or more line wires to the ground when thecircuit is cut or broken.

A still further object is to provide a simple and etlicient cut-out ofsuch construction that the circuit ma be quickly and securely closedbetween the ground and line wires and the telephonic instruments.

\Vith these and other objects in view the invention consists of thenovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of partshereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of myimproved switch or cut-out; Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 ofFig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section through the contacts whenthe switch is closed; and Figs. 4 and 5 are detail perspective views ofthe contact plates.

Referring more particularly to the drawings 5 indicates a base which isformed in two sections, a stationary and movable section 6 and 7respectively. The stationary section 6 is secured by means of screws 8to a wall or other suitable support. The movable section 7 is somewhatlonger than the base section 6 and is adapted to extend beyond the endof the same to provide a suitable handle portion by means of which thesection 7 may be conveniently grasped to open the cut-out.

The base sections 6 and 7 are connected by means of the hinges 9. In thepresent instance three such hinges are employed, and

j the knuckles 9 thereof are spaced from each 10. Between the opposedends of the knuckles of each hinge a coiled spring 11 is arranged uponthe pintle. This spring is preferably formed of copper wire or othersuitable conducting material and has its ends secured to the plates orleaves of the hinges 9. Adjacent to the other end of the stationary basemember 6, current carrying contact members 12 are arranged. Thesemembers are each formed with a groove or channel 13 intermediate oftheir ends, the walls of said channel being vertically disposed withrelation to the base and diverging with relation to each other. Thecontact members are secured to the base by suitable screws or rivets i lwhich are passed through the base of the channel portion 13. The ends ofthe contact members are laterally extended as shown at 15 and aredisposed in the same horizontal plane. The end edges of the adjacentcontact members are disposed in juxtaposition to each other and areserrated as shown at 16. In the operation of the device the current isadapted to jump from the ends of the contact members arranged adjacentto the longitudinal edges of the base to the intermediate contact memberto discharge the current from the line wires into the ground as willhereinafter appear.

Upon the other movable base section 7, the contacts 17 are secured andare formed with the upstanding tongues 18 which are adapted to engage inthe channels 13 of the members 12 and. cooperate with said members toclose the electric circuit between the ground and line wires and thetelephonic instruments will now be set forth. The contacts 17 areconnected by means of the wires 19 to one end of one of the springs 11of the hinges 9. The other end of said springs are connected by means ofthe wires 19 to the binding posts 20 arranged in the edge of thestationary base section 6. Wires 21 and 22 connect said binding postswith the telephones, the two line wires 21 being each connected to onephone and the ground wire 22 being connected to both phones.

These wires are adapted to convey the cur rent from the wires 21 and 22which are connected to the binding posts 23 arranged on the end of thebase section 6, said binding posts being electrically connected to thecontact members 12.

other and connected by the hinged pintles From the above it will be seenthat when the switch or cut-out is closed and the tongues 18 disposed inthe channels 13 of the contact members carried by the base section 6,the circuit will be connected through the line wires 21. and the hinges11 to the wires 21 and the telephonic instruments and from saidii'istruments through the ground wires 22 and 22 to the ground, thecurrent passing through the central hinge spring 11 to the centralcontacts 12 and 17. To cut the telephones out of the circuit, tnemovable base 'rtion 7 is lifted to disconnect the contact members 12 and17 whereby the circuit is broken. The current from the line wires 21when of abnormal strength will extend from the serrated ends of theouter contact members 12 to the central contact member upon the basesection (3 and thence through the ground wires to the ground. Thisincrease of cur rent is often caused by lightning and frequently causesserious oamage to the telephonic instruments and puts the line out ofoperation for an appreciable length of time. In this manner the currentbetween the ground and line wires is completely neutralized and dangerof the telephone being burned out and cut ell from electrical connectionwith the circuit wires is thus eliminated.

From the above it will be seen that I have provided a simple andeffective cut-out for telephone systems. The device is also capable ofuse as a lightning arrester, the line wires serving to direct theelectric fluid into the ground. It will of course be understood that thebase sections (5 and T are formed of hard rubber, porcelain or othersuitable nonconducting material. The device ma be very quickly operatedto make or break the electric circuit and is particularly devised with aview to its use upon rural telephone systems where party lines aregenerally used.

The device is susceptible of a great many minor changes in the form,proportion and arrangement of the various parts without departing fromthe essential features or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is 1. In a cut-out,the combination of a stationary base section and a movable base seetion,hinges connecting said sections, a plurality of contacts secured to thestationary section each having a channel formed between its ends, theextremities of said contacts being arranged adjacent to each other, aground wire connected to one of said contacts and line wires connectedto the contacts arranged adjacent thereto, a plurality otvcontactmembers carried by the movable base section each having a centrallytermed tongue adapted to engage in the channel of the rst namedcontacts, electrical connections between the contacts of said movablebase section and the hinges and the electrical apparatus, whereby whensaid movable base section is disposed upon the stationary section andthe contacts engaged, the electrical circuit is connected through theground wires and the hinges connecting said .base sections to theelectrical apparatus and from said apparatus through the ground wiresand the contacts to the ground.

2. In a cut-out, the combination of a stationary base section and amovable base section, a plurality of contacts secured to the stationarysection, said contacts each being formed with a central U-shapcdchannel, to provide oppositely extending arms, fastening devicesextending through the base of the channel portion and into the basesection to secure the-contacts thereto, said contacts being arrangedtransversely on the base scction and having their arms disposed in tho1e plane, the extremities of the arms of adjacent contacts beingdisposed in juxtaposition to each other, a ground wire con nected to oneof said contacts and line wires acent ality of contact members car riedby the movable base section each having I a centrally formed U-shapedtongue adaptl l l l I connected to the contacts arranged ad] thereto, aplur ed to engage in the U-shapcd channel of the first named contacts,tions between the base section and substantially tied.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the and e ectricalconneccontacts of said movable the electrical apparatus, as and for thepurpose specipresence of two witnesses. PHILIP H. HARNER. Witnesses \V.K. Cnrw, t J. S. DECKER.

